


Lost & Found

by HaveMyWeedCookies



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sanji doesn't understand the concept of unconditional love, oldman!Zoro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:47:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25037224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaveMyWeedCookies/pseuds/HaveMyWeedCookies
Summary: In which Zoro refused Sanji’s food and took getting lost to a whole new level.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 26
Kudos: 254





	Lost & Found

**Author's Note:**

> I cannot write angst but I tried. And, a million thanks to Amber3 for proofreading this fic!

"-I'll call you when the food is ready."

"I want something that goes well with sake."

* * *

"The food is ready!"

Sanji hollered and waited for his crewmates to come to the galley for breakfast. He didn't expect the swordsman to join them this morning though. A week ago, they fought and it wasn't Sanji's fault… He didn't think he was to blame for Zoro’s moodiness. 

Surely, he might play some part in how the crew almost screwed up. But it wasn't just him, everyone in the crew even Luffy - no, especially Luffy - messed up at some point when the admiral's fleets chased them while a great storm raged over the sea. It was a miracle that they managed to escape alive. They should have laughed and celebrated at their luck, but no, their local asshole didn't let them catch their breath. The swordsman let them all know, obnoxiously loud and clear, how pissed he was at their performance.

Anyone with half a brain could see that Zoro’s outburst was directed at Sanji.

Part of him knew that Zoro had a point; their crewmates played around too much. Franky always thought it was a good idea to try out his untested inventions in the real fight; Usopp always freaked out; those devil-fruit user bastards always stood too close to the handrails and fell overboard. Or, that Sanji couldn’t help but offer himself as a punching bag for beautiful enemies. As their ship continued to sail into the dangerous waters of the New World, they probably should have toned down their carefreeness. But they were only human. Everyone messed up sometimes. Zoro just had no chill these days. Sanji didn’t see why he should be the one to take the blame. So, he reminded the mosshead that just because he chose to put a great inhuman deal of pressure on himself, it didn't mean he could demand the same level of madness from the others. If he wanted to beat himself up over the past mistakes so badly, go do it the fuck alone.

Zoro didn't take Sanji’s suggestion very well and growled at him like a rabid dog. "You have been slacking off. That's why you got your ass handed to you today."

"Me, slacking off?!” hissed Sanji. “Unlike you, I have a duty on this ship. Cooking. I work from dusk to dawn every fucking single day to put the food on your ungrateful ass’s table. Three fucking meals and one snack per day. So, sorry if I have no time to lift some weights."

**"Then, don't bother with my ration. I'll take care of my own food."**

Of all things that he expected to come out of Zoro’s filthy mouth, this wasn’t what Sanji ever imagined.

It felt like he got struck by the lightning again but this time Sanji didn't feel anything sort of pain, so he didn’t do anything. He just stood still and watched the swordsman storm off to the galley. Usopp and Nami went after him. He heard his sweet Nami-san screaming at the swordsman. She was clearly upset but Sanji couldn’t will himself to move from his spot to go comfort her.

Zoro didn't come back for supper, his food left untouched on the table until midnight. Franky saw the swordsman’s silhouette on the crow nest's window, training as usual. Sanji didn't say anything. He simply put the food in a container and froze it in the freezer. Luffy was being unusually well-behaved and didn’t steal Zoro’s food. Sanji rewarded him with more meat.

Zoro had stayed true to his word.

Shitty prideful swordsman.

It had been over a week that Zoro had fished for himself, everyone already got used to not seeing the idiotic green guy at the table. Sanji couldn't wait for him to get scurvy from his meager diet and came begging for his cooking.

However, overall, Sanji really didn’t care.

The food containers stored in the freezer were now 28.

* * *

His reasonable crewmates had already taken their seats and started eating. Sanji was about to go and close the galley's door when _he_ appeared on the threshold. The cook purposely ignored him, focusing his eyes on the floor, because Zoro's face was the last thing he wanted to see today.

Somehow, that man was still standing by the door. Sanji began to tap his foot impatiently, still refusing to acknowledge his existence.

"I’m starving. What took you so long?"

The cook snapped his eyes from the floor. After the whole week of silent treatment and the first thing that came out of the marimo’s mouth was _this_. First, he refused Sanji’s cooking and now he implied that Sanji _starved_ him. In his entire career as a sea cook, Sanji never felt so insulted. He never failed at his job. He always catered because cooking **WAS** his pride.

Sanji was going to tell Zoro to go to hell and that… When he finally noticed that Zoro was _smiling_ at him.

He heard someone drop a spoon on the floor so Sanji guessed the others had seen it too. Zoro’s smile was real. Sanji wasn't hallucinating.

But Zoro never smiled like that before, definitely not at him. He never looked at Sanji in _that_ way. This was bad - Zoro's smile stirred something inside of him. He could hear the sounds of his heart ramming against his chest. This newfound confusion made him so frustrated, he wanted to kick something. Sanji gritted his teeth and averted his eyes from the infuriating swordsman and his cursed smile.

"Don't fuck with me. Go take your seat."

Zoro looked taken aback but Sanji was determined not to look at him again. He quickly retreated back to his kitchen and stood behind the kitchen counter, furiously wiping already clean dishes. From the corners of his eyes, he saw the swordsman obediently go take his seat without any complaints or taunts. His smile already disappeared from his face. Things should have gone back to normal if that stupid swordsman had not stared at his plate like Sanji's sandwiches offended his family's lineage. 

The crew, sans Luffy, had already stopped eating to watch their swordsman staring at his food. The galley's atmosphere had never been this stiff and awkward. Ten uncomfortable minutes later, Zoro finally decided to ask, “What day is it today?"

What a stupid question. However, Robin-chan was kind enough to answer him. The swordsman nodded, grabbing his utensils and starting to eat like nothing happened, the corners of his lips turned upward. It looked like their wayward marimo was in a good mood today. He had smiled this morning more than he did in the past few months combined. That fact alone made everyone at the table feel suddenly uneasy.

"I guess it isn't ready yet."

Also, it seemed he had developed a liking of talking in riddles too.

* * *

If Zoro's smile wasn't confusingly terrifying enough, he asked for water instead of booze. 

"Pardon?" Sanji gasped. 

"Cola is fine too."

The cyborg hesitantly opened his abdominal mini-fridge and handed a bottle of cola to the swordsman who gulped it down like a thirsty man. Franky's jaws literally dropped to the floor. Zoro never hid his dislike of the _“disgusting”_ sweet taste of the soda and more than one occasion that he had tried to drink seawater to fix his dehydration. This showed how far the marimo would go to avoid drinking cola.

"Are you an imposter!?" Usopp finally slapped his hand on the table and yelled. He was using his interrogation voice. The one that sounded like the sniper was about to faint from fear.

"No."

"Sick!?" Screamed Chopper.

"No."

"Brainwashed?" Franky asked.

"No."

"Brain-damaged?" Robin wondered.

"No."

"Braindead." Nami pointed out confidently. 

Zoro snorted, "No."

"Possessed?" Brook mused.

Zoro put down the empty bottle on the table and amusingly regarded his friends who were looking at him with trepidation. Sanji suspected that the swordsman deliberately let out a chuckle just to watch them flinch. As if he knew their friends wouldn't be convinced by his words, Zoro turned to their captain for his opinion. 

"Do you think I'm not me, Luffy?"

Luffy’s ability to hear the voice of all things could easily tell lies from the truth.

Luffy paused on his munching to look at Zoro, tilted his head in a Luffy-y fashion that he often had when he was using his brain cells to figure out hard-cracking mysteries. Everyone at the table held their breath, waiting for Luffy' to denounce the faker. Behind the bar, Sanji started heating up his leg, just in case.

"Zoro?" 

"Hey man, it's me."

Luffy grinned and stole food from everyone who was still dumbfounded by the unexpected result.

Their captain refused to clarify any further and simply said, "Zoro is Zoro." And his judgment was definite. Sanji reluctantly cooled off his foot.

He was _very_ dissatisfied. He supposed the crew was, however, Luffy's ambiguous confirmation had calmed everyone down enough for them to resume their eating and finish their food before it could disappear into their gluttonous captain’s stomach. 

Zoro finished his meal and said to Sanji. "Thank you for the food. It was delicious."

Sanji had no idea how to deal with this _nice_ doppelganger of Zoro so he hid in the kitchen the whole morning.

* * *

Sanji wasn't convinced a tiny bit that this Zoro was their mosshead.

He smiled. He laughed. He said thanks. And, lo and behold, the swordsman didn't take a nap or train either. He was playing poker with Nami, Robin, Usopp, and Brook on the deck, looking very relaxed and content. Somehow, he managed to charm the whole crew into not suspecting him anymore. If this didn't smell fishy, Sanji didn't know what would. It was hard to believe that this _nice_ evil-twin Zoro was the same foul-mouthed, grumpy, lazy, and alcoholic bastard that Sanji tolerated on a daily basis. This swordsman had lost at card games several times in a row and was yet to accuse Nami-san of cheating at cards. Usually, he was always overconfident in his dealt hand and would get mad when he later found himself penniless. This _nice_ Zoro was just humming at his loss and betting more money.

This wasn’t the reason why Sanji had spent his afternoon hiding behind the mast and avoiding the man. No, Sanji was no coward. He was investigating. He had been gathering information to unmask the suspect who was wearing the marimo's face.

However, sadly, the more Sanji watched, the less he hoped to find evidence. There were no traces of deceit in _nice_ Zoro's actions. To be honest, it was quite believable that this man was who Zoro would be if his arrogance wasn't stuck up his ass all the time. Perhaps, in a few more years, their stubborn swordsman would reach this level of civility if he finally learned to be more-

...

..

.

That's it.

That was the word Sanji was looking for.

This Zoro wasn't nice, he was _mature._

Sanji bit his thumb, brows furrowed and deep in thought. The discovery brought nothing but more questions - because no one suddenly became mature overnight.

 _Enough with playing a detective!_ He told himself angrily.

Sanji went back to his sanctuary, the kitchen, slammed the door shut, and reached for the packet of nicotine in his trouser pocket. He decided to screw his lungs and smoked all the cigarettes at once. After his restlessness was temporarily quelled, Sanji promised himself that after supper, he would force the truth out of Zoro the old-fashioned way. The way he knew best. Confrontation.

* * *

"Your soul-breathing technique is very useful but you must be clearer with your direction. It's easy to get lost." 

"Yohohoho, I'll keep that in mind. I'm happy that you found it helpful!"

From the upper deck, Sanji had watched the two swordsmen on the deck below discussing Brook's devil-fruit power. Marimo was chatty today, wasn't he? Maybe he would be up for another _conversation_ with Sanji too. 

"Hey Brook!" the cook yelled at them. "May I borrow marimo for a sec? Promise to return him to you when I’m done."

"Oh, we've just finished our talk, Sanji-san!" Brook shouted back merrily. "I must excuse myself too. I'll go relieve Ussop-san from his shift now. See you later, Zoro-san."

Then, Brook proceeded to lift his hat and bow to Zoro.

Brook was polite. Overly polite, sometimes. But he never bowed that casually. Everyone in the crew was equal and Zoro didn't actually do anything right now that was warranted such respect. Zoro nodded at him before lifting his head to look at Sanji - with his smile. Again. Sanji's eyes twitched as his mind battled the desire to shrink away from those soft smiles and gentle glances. This was getting tiring. He was going to confront _Zoro_ and get to the bottom of it, so all of these feelings that he was forced to feel could just... stop.

**"Am I that different, you cannot believe I'm me?"**

Ironically, it was Zoro who cornered Sanji with his straightforward question. They were already in the galley. It wasn’t that Sanji wanted to stumble on his words like a fool but he was too distracted by the marimo’s smell. Did he freshen up? Also, Zoro was standing too close to him. The swordsman had blocked the door which made Sanji feel trapped. The cook knew he was being silly to feel anxious around the swordsman. Even if Zoro went nuts, Sanji could fight him off. It was just - this _stranger_ looked and sounded exactly like his nakama. And, he was using his crewmate’s body to say and do things toward Sanji that the real person would never even entertain himself with this ridiculous idea.

Sanji’s hand went automatically to his trouser pocket, rummaging for his life-saving stress-reliever in the form of portable nicotine.

As the cook was about to light himself a cigarette, he felt a callous hand on his cheek, caressing it so gently that his breath hitched. His hand fell to his side, the lighter dropped to the floor. Again, his body got assaulted by an unknown feeling. It seeped out of his heart like poison, spread all over his body, and made it burnt like he was in hell. As a cook who dealt with fire and never blinked his eye at burns, Sanji was now terrified by the flame he was unable to control.

He didn’t understand a fucking damn thing.

The affection was reflected in Zoro's caress and his eye.

Zoro’s eye... It was always like his blades, sharp and guarded. The swordsman had rarely let anyone into his inner world. Sanji had no idea until this very moment that Zoro had hidden such a swirling pool of emotions behind his beautiful silver iris.

Sadness. Joy. Excitement. Gratefulness.

"You smoke too much."

_Love._

Sanji’s anger rose.

He slapped Zoro's hand away from his cheek, glowered, insults ready on his lips but they never got their chance to fire. A minute later, he found himself in the swordsman's gentle embrace that gradually melted away his last bit of resistance. His eyes reddened for no reason, he felt like he was being played. He was almost tempted to give up, to just bathe in the warmth that radiated from the swordsman's simple touch. Even when Sanji knew full well he did nothing to earn this affection.

"I always smoke. I never plan to stop," he said defiantly but let himself be hugged, the unlit cigarette still hanging out of his mouth.

"Your lungs will give out before my liver ever do," Zoro whispered. He could feel Zoro’s fainted smile grazing upon his shoulder. "But we had a good life."

* * *

_"I need to get going. Everyone must be really hungry right now."_

_"You should have been there a long ass time ago."_

_"Ungrateful marimo. I just-" coughed a dying man. "I just want to accompany you… ah, as long as I can. I don't want you to be by yourself."_

_"This is my burden to take. Don’t want to put too much work in your hands... Please."_

_"...promise me you will eat every day.”_

_"...Aye."_

_"You’re lying."_

_"No. I'll eat."_

_He sighed, not fully believing but deciding to let him off the hook. Both knew there wasn’t much he could do about the other’s diet at this point._

_"When your time comes, will you be able to follow the light?"_

_"On your death bed and you still think so little of me?"_

_Blue orbs looked at him, paler because of age but the fire was still there and burning brightly. The dying man looked resolute. "That's right. I'll call you when the food is ready."_

_"I want something that goes well with sake."_

_“Aye, aye, my love.”_

_Zoro smiled but never let go of the frail and wrinkled hands that had fed him for many years._

_"Do you think the afterlife can fix my back? It's killing me even when I'm dying."_

_The sound of breathless chuckles echoed in the quiet room._

_"There is the only way to know."_

_"Yeah, yeah. Don’t rush my death… Don't be late."_

_"I'll be there, love."_

* * *

When their captain was gone, it felt like their world had ended. There was a year when they felt nothing but sadness. But as the others followed, death became bearable. Soon, it turned into anticipation. Each waiting their time to reunite with their crew and start their adventure all over again, on the other side.

His beloved was the eighth.

His body was laid to rest in the All Blue he so dearly loved.

Zoro sold out everything they owned during the years that they had lived together as husbands, gave away all the wealth, save for a small fortune to buy a humble boat. The waves were his only guide. He set sail to never return, bringing with him to his last voyage nothing but his loyal swords. Even though he told them their fate would be at the bottom of the sea, they still wished to accompany him till his end. His life was truly blessed with good friends.

He had been drifting in the blue all alone, drank only rainwater, and ate fish raw. On some bad days when he missed _him_ too much, he would stare at the water and remember the shade of blue. He never planned to rush things but ten years since his Sanji passed away, he was still waiting for his turn. Every day was the same, nothing was memorable.

One night, the musician came to play music for him while he was in his trance. The revive-revive fruit's power seemed to let its former user trespass the boundary between the two worlds. Maybe he could let go of his body at will too if he tried to master Brook's technique through meditation? He pondered and that was their conversation that night. In the dream, he asked the skeleton to tell the cook to hurry. Brook promised to be his messenger.

He hadn't heard from him or anyone else since.

One day or one night he couldn't be sure as he had lost the track of time, Zoro woke up to find himself looking at his old shrivelled body curling up in the boat (maybe it was during the night, it tended to be pretty cold and he had no blankets to shield himself from the wind). Then, his astral form was elevated to the sky, the clouds parted and he saw the light. 

When he entered the light, there was nothing.

He stood dumbly on the clouds above the sea; down below the waves rocked the boat where his lifeless body laid. Wow, he was practically skin and bones when he died. There was not much meat left on his body for the bugs and birds to eat.

Zoro had looked everywhere, wandering in search of his family. He always ended up in the same spot. Perhaps, it wasn’t his time to go, he thought with a shrug and sat on the clouds. Under the blazing sunlight, his corpse dried up quickly like a mummified monk... or dried fish.

_Dried fish is good with rice and sake._

As he was thinking about food, Zoro finally heard the voice he had been missing dearly.

_"The food is ready!"_

He got up from his spot, guessing the direction of the call, took a precise turn and-

Somehow found himself in his younger body in the past.

* * *

It was unheard of that anyone could travel back in time. There were no known devil fruits that could grant such a wish. And yet, this unbelievable man could do such a feat by getting lost. Sanji didn’t know what to laugh or cry.

"You've taken getting lost to a whole new level," Sanji told him quietly.

The old-man Zoro chuckled and let go of the hug. Sanji didn't realize that he had been held in Zoro's embrace the whole time the swordsman had told his life story. His heart mourned at the loss of warmth.

"Why today?" 

Zoro scratched his chin and hummed. "I remembered being stubborn. Today a long time ago, I chose to eat my pride instead of your food. Your food is not something to skip."

Sanji blushed at the compliment. He coughed into his fist and excused himself to go brew tea for them. Zoro said he would appreciate it and sat on the galley’s floor. Sanji managed to notice the last detail he had missed during his investigation of Zoro’s identity - there were no creases between the elder self’s eyebrows. Who knew that if the marimo untied his brow knots, he could look like a gentle human being?

Truth to be told, Sanji still wanted nothing most than to stay away from this man. He was… just too much. But, there was a lot of information that this time-traveling Zoro had just revealed. Personal pain aside, as the crew's fighter, Sanji should capitalize on this opportunity and get the most out of it. Fuck, he felt like a protagonist in a sci-fi novel he read during his childhood years. In every story, time-traveling led to a doomed fate.

"Wait!" Sanji yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at the swordsman who was calmly waiting for his tea. "You being here - wouldn't your existence fuck my timeline?!"

Zoro let out his loud laughter.

"Nothing will change, for humans have free will. What will happen, will happen because we will make it happen, just sooner or later. What I've changed here is to simply give my younger self one more day that I lost to have fun under the sun with my nakama."

That calmed Sanji down a little and also reminded him of something quite important.

"Where is the marimo?"

"Still here, don't worry. He is aware of everything."

 _Well, that's awkward._ Sanji thought.

If his body got hijacked by his future self who, then, used his body to be mushy mushy with the person he liked the least in the crew, Sanji knew he would be mad too. He poured the tea into a cup before handing it to the elder Zoro, refraining himself from flinching when Zoro brushed his hand against him.

Marimo would notice nothing but the elder Zoro was quick to pick on Sanji’s smallest gesture of discomfort. "My bad. I sometimes forget that you are still so young here." He sipped the tea and smiled at him. _Again_. "I just missed you so much."

**"I'm not your Sanji."**

* * *

Sanji choked out, his voice became hoarse. His throat was so dry that he sounded like a dying man. Quickly, he put down his own cup and scooted away from the elder Zoro, not meeting his eye. He didn’t know why those simple words made him want to burst into tears.

Or, actually, he did know, he just never wanted to admit it. _So this is where the feeling of suffocation comes from, huh?_ He thought bitterly. _Just face it, you are jealous._

He was so envious of the love that wasn't for him. 

Zoro's love was for Sanji in the future, the person who somehow worked miracles and got a happy life. Whom Sanji might not become. After all, there were plenty of possibilities of how his future could turn out to be. The future in which he was embraced and kissed every night until his hair turned gray could be nothing more than a mirage, something that was so close, yet was forever out of his reach.

Zoro's eye softened, always too damn understanding. "Sanji, don't you ever doubt if you are loved because you are. You are very much loved."

"How the hell would I know? He doesn't let anyone help. He doesn't eat my cooking. I have no idea what he feels these days." Sanji put his face in his palms, "I'm useless. I always fail to help him."

The marimo always made a difficult choice and endured the pain alone. And all Sanji could do was to watch him suffer. He should have been terrified that his future self ended up marrying a man, Zoro of all people, but all he could think of was that his future self was so fucking weak that he died first, leaving Zoro to eat what could barely be called human meals until he died.

He failed again. Goddamnit!

"I... my future self starved you."

"An old man doesn't need to eat much. I ate sufficiently."

"No! You're fucking wrong."

"Don't raise your voice at an elder, kiddo."

Sanji glowered at Zoro and his mocking patronizing tone. Being an old man on the inside didn't make him have any rights to treat Sanji like a kid.

"You are stupid!"

"I was stupid."

"Say: I'm a good-for-nothing moss-for-brain lost child brute."

"Can't. My mouth’s too full."

"…Will you be lonely again if you go back?"

"I don’t know but it's my time to go now."

When he felt Sanji's hands on his, holding tightly, Zoro shook his head.

"That's not for you to bother your head about," he reprimanded and kissed the man's forehead before Sanji had the chance to argue with him. He looked at the blushing younger man who had the same spirit as his lover. They really were the same. Their kindness and their hearts that would bleed for others. His fate was not for Sanji to worry about, but there was what Sanji really needed to know. What he wished his younger self would make sure that the cook would always remember.

"Our bond is timeless. My soul was able to travel through time and find you because our love is already there. I'll always love you."

* * *

Sanji hadn't let go of Zoro's hands. He had been watching his chest rise and fall, taking comfort in his steady heartbeats, patiently waiting for their swordsman to regain his consciousness. 

"So did you see anything interesting in your older self's memories?"

Zoro's eye was still closed but he replied. "I didn't peek."

"What a shame. I really wanted to know the secret that could make a drunkard like you outlive all of us."

"There are no secrets.”

"..."

"I willed myself to be the last to go."

"Why?"

"It's my job.”

"I see."

Sanji smiled and decided it was time to let go of Zoro’s hands. The swordsman had a different idea and pulled the cook's body toward him, wrapping his hands around the cook’s waist and putting his head on the slimmer man’s shoulder. If the cook was startled by his abrupt intimacy, he didn't let it show as he let himself be held in the swordsman's embrace.

Zoro didn't peek. But the memories flowed past him. Like rivers rushing to return to the sea, they left no traces behind, however, some sensations of wistfulness lingered. Zoro didn’t _see_ anything in his future self’s memories but his soul remembered the feelings.

Of living in a creaking body of an old man who managed to live quite comfortably into old age because his family was there to have his back.

Of loving someone who worked the hardest to keep him alive.

The feelings told him a story that happened many years into the future. How Zoro and this person would open a little bar on a small island to watch the next generations of pirates grow up and wreak havoc. Every day, they would climb the hills to watch sunsets and talk about promising young lads they met in the bar who could succeed their pirate king's legacy. Zoro would drink and _he_ would smoke. Zoro’s hair would soon turn gray and he would watch his lover's silver blond hair getting long which he would turn into beautiful braids. There would be small mountains of medicine that they would have to take every day. Zoro would forget to take them but his lover would make sure to remind him. There would be some annoying dietary restrictions but the food would always be delicious. Every night, he would go to a warm bed, wearing freshly-washed clothes, and the man beside him would count his new wrinkles with his childish amusement.

Whether it was present or future, Zoro could never love himself as good as the cook loved him.

Sanji always gave and took so very little. It sometimes made Zoro feel so frustrated at his own incompetence, at what little he could offer back.

_Please let me take this pain, it is all I can do._

His older soul’s desperate words echoed the very same wish of his heart. And, Zoro couldn’t keep it in anymore.

"If someone has to be left behind, it should always be me. I don't want you to feel the pain.”

Their hugs were different. He could tell the elder Zoro was very experienced in giving hugs. His embrace was so gentle, probably because he was used to giving hugs to his elderly husband. His Zoro, on the other hand, didn’t know how to hold back yet. He was crushing Sanji.

Sanji smiled and patted the man's head fondly.

"Alright, tough swordsman. But be honest with your feelings sometimes so I know when to cook your favorite dishes."

Zoro was shaking slightly and Sanji felt his shoulder was getting wet. He knew this was an s-tier material for teasing him but, for now, he wouldn’t comment.

"Can I still have your cooking?"

"That reminds me, your shitty ass will have to finish all the leftovers in the fridge. Then, we can talk."

"Alright," Zoro said, his chuckle sounded like a hiccup. Again, Sanji wouldn't comment. He would try to be nice, just for tonight.

The cook put his chin on top of his marimo’s head. Several things would change; several things would remain. It was all about the human's will, right? This time, Sanji would be there to share half of the burden with him. Zoro would definitely not be eating raw fish alone in a fucking boat in this lifetime. 

"I'll train harder." He promised him. _If we die, we die together._

* * *

He had no idea how time flew since he returned back to the clouds of nothingness. He had been watching the sea of dreams when someone snickered,

_'You really got lost.'_

_'Shut up.'_ He thought back. 

_'How many timelines did you already mess up with your unparalleled sense of direction?'_ The voice sounded so young and beautiful, and so so annoying.

_'I didn't mess up anything. You cannot screw up something that's already screwed.'_

_'That's true. We are fucked up from the beginning of time. Hey, don’t you think we could have found Laughtale earlier if we had let you take the helm?'_

_'Is your back okay now?'_

_'Why don't you come and have a look? The food is ready.'_

When he stood up, someone gently interlaced his fingers with his, and Zoro knew this time he would finally find his way back home.

* * *

Extra

"Your older self bet all of your allowances to Nami-san."

"That fucker, he had **years** to practice!"

"Maybe it's fate, one of many things that you cannot change."

"Like your weak-ass who will bite the dust before me."

The cook snarled and threw a candy stick at the swordsman. "I'll outlive you this time. Fuck, I need a smoke."

The next morning, Chopper found the two men in his sickbay asking for his medical advice on cutting down on their addiction. The little reindeer was confused but also very pleased with his friends trying to live healthier. So, once a week, starting today, Sanji would have only lollipops instead of cigarettes while Zoro was allowed to only drink cola. It was cola because like hell Sanji was going to suffer sucking sugar on a stick alone so he bribed Chopper with cotton candy to prescribe cola to the marimo.

Needless to say the sight of two grown-ass grumpy men spiritlessly having their sweets was nothing short of a bad omen to the rest of the crew.


End file.
